Up All Night Singing Love Songs
by TheLilyoftheValley
Summary: Talchet. In the early hours of Veldin's morning, Ratchet asks his girlfriend the question that's been keeping him up all night...


_(HHHH, so I wrote this back in August or early September [I think it was September...] and published it to my Amino account promising peeps that I would edit it soon and clean up the draft. As y'all can see... it's November now. Truth is, I had something in the first draft that caused me to cringe in each read-through, so yes, I can officially go on record for holding off editing for months because of two lines that I thought were good ideas at the time._

_Also not gunna lie, the flip flop between Ratchet and Clank and Miraculous is crazy. The song cover that inspired this fits so well with my favorite Miraculous ship, so of course I had to write Talchet to it... [I know, it doesn't make sense to me either]._

_Nonetheless, now that this is edited, I can finally put out my first Talchet oneshot and experiment with how this couple works. Hope you all enjoy!) _

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ratchet and Clank or any of its characters. Swear to Orvus, you could put on a SoMo song cover and immediately I'll hit a creative binge. Also kids, don't listen to some of his songs until you're older, cause they're great, but also not for young audiences.**

**Sidenote: Italics for Ratchet, bold for Talwyn.**

Up All Night Singing Love Songs

Veldin was known to be utterly frigid during the nights.

As a desert planet, once the suns that scorched the surface disappeared for the night, temperatures plummeted during the nights. Summer days would drive most creatures inside, even some Veldin-born creatures doing what they could to get away from the heat, while most nights were spent with creatures bundled up in blankets trying to get back the warmth they had been so eager to escape.

Veldin's summers were not fun to deal with in the slightest, even if you knew how to handle them.

Sticky, sweat-slicked fur lifted off the dark purple bedsheets. The ungloved hand fished the small communicator off the nightstand beside him, and an exhausted groan drew from his throat as he glanced at the time.

4:10 AM.

If the heat was already setting in, it meant the day was going to feel like someone took a Pyrocinerator to the surface of the planet.

Ratchet leaned his head back against the pillow, eyes heavy with the hazy desires for sleep. His communicator thumped against the comforter as his hand fell. A soft hum came from him as sleep pulled at his conscious.

The thought that had been circling his brain banished it back.

A tired huff blew through his lips as he rubbed at his eyes. Hours of tossing and turning didn't help his confidence in getting sleep, and as the urge to give up grew, Ratchet's eyes settled back on his communicator.

Minutes passed as the Lombax thought over his choice. Sleep, or talk...

Then again, he'd been up most of the night wanting to talk.

He thumbed the communicator message app. Far too early in the morning for video connection, and he didn't know if his girlfriend was busy or asleep.

With a small tap to the "Love of my life" contact, Ratchet pulled up the past messages.

_R: Hey beautiful, hows it going today?_

His words stared back at him. The small ceiling fan in his room moved just slow enough for it to not produce any cool air, and the desert crickets and Horny Toads just started their morning calls as Ratchet moved a skinny arm behind his head.

Just before the urge to sleep hit him again, four little dots popped up under his last message.

**T: Isn't it near four thirty in the morning your time?**

A laugh bubbled up from his chest.

_R: Yep_

Four little dots...

**T: Ratchet...**

**T: You aren't working yourself through the night on a huge project, are you?**

He could tell the tone of the message, one that mimicked Clank's warning tones. The goofy grin that stretched across his face stayed strong, and as he scratched his bare chest, he tapped out another message.

_R: Nah just can't sleep_

**T: Heat? Or other things?**

_R: Other things, though not bad ones_

**T: Well, if they aren't bad...**

He caught himself giving the communicator the same raised-eyebrow, knowing-smile look he always gave to Talwyn.

_R: Wanna tell me what time it is there beautiful_

**T: ...It's early morning.**

_R: That can mean a lot of things Tal..._

He snorted as he pictured the little defeated huff she'd make and the little smile and head shake she'd give to her communicator.

**T: Alright, you got me. 1:43 in the morning.**

He licked his lips as his eyes closed, his mind searching for the time difference between Veldin and the Apogee Space Station. His fingers rose from the communicator, ticking off the simple difference between the time zones.

_I thought the Apogee Space Station was nine hours behind_, Ratchet typed out.

**T: Close. At the PDF currently, working on some extra papers to get ahead in some work.**

_R: Oh fun_

**T: Yeah, I know ;). Can't help myself sometimes...**

He held the communicator to his chest as he shook his head, teeth flashing under the moonlight as he rolled his tired eyes.

_R: You ok with being distracted? I can wait if your busy_

**T: I'm okay for the moment, though I can't do any video calls.**

_R: Lemme guess, hair all over the place, bags under your eyes, coffee and papers everywhere, probably needs a shower..._

**T: You know me too well.**

_R: Comes with too many hours spent with me beautiful_

_R: And no, no matter what, you r still gorgeous, even if you need a stick of deodorant_

A small pause fell into the conversation.

"Wait for it..." Ratchet murmured.

A picture of Talwyn, report tablets scattered all over her desk, popped up onto the communicator's screen. Her black hair stood up in places, no doubt from her running her hand through it, and clear bags showed under her eyes. The light of the communicator and the blue light of her computer were the only lights on in the room that he could see, and they painted his girlfriend in an eerie deep blue aura. Two coffee mugs sat close to the current tablet she had in front of her.

Her head was turned toward the communicator, her expression trying so hard to be serious, but the smirk on her mouth and the knowing laughter in her eyes giving it away.

_R: Absolutely beautiful. Secret or Axe?_

**T: Secret. And I still can't believe you think I'm pretty like this.**

_R: Tal your amazing, and one of the greatest people I know. I don't care what state your in, your always the most beautiful thing I've ever seen._

Silence passed, and Ratchet knew there was a bit of red coloring her cheeks as she read over the message again and again. He could picture it clearly in his head: her fingers cupping her jawline, dark pink hidden by the blue light her monitor gave off, a bashful grin gracing her mouth...

As he kicked off some of the blankets tangled around his legs, her next message popped back up.

**T: Flattery will get you nowhere.**

_R: Oh?_

**T: ...**

"Aw Tal..." He hugged the communicator to his chest. There was nothing that would be able to wipe the goofy grin off his face.

**T: Thank you, Ratchet... So what's got you up so late? I think I forgot to ask that amid all our discussion of deodorant.**

His eyes flicked outside to the growing dawn, the blues of the nights and the beginning purples of the dawn mixing together in the sky. The beginning whisps of silver clouds slowly floated through Veldin's atmosphere, the morning moisture keeping them in the sky before the heat of the day seared them into nothing. One of Veldin's suns poked up from beyond the horizon, inching its way across the sky and making a path for its partners.

His tired eyes, a slight burn forming at the corners, turned back to the communicator, and his fingers tapped against the screen.

_R: You ever just kinda... I dunno_

_R: Have you ever stayed up all night because of the weird feelings in your chest? Not like a "sick" feeling, like where your chest hurts so much you think your going to die... like a warm feeling that sits in you and makes you feel lighter than air_

_R: I mean, I think about you, and my heart just flips, and my chest warms, and I think I could sink into my bed cause I know it feels so right..._

_R: But there's also a feeling behind it too... there's this burning desire to talk to you again, a want to be close to you and run my fingers through your soft hair as we kiss and a want to hug you close and never let you go..._

_R: Its like everything is perfect and a dream, but its real and I just want to be in it all the time?_

He paused as he laid back, letting Talwyn read through the messages he had sent her.

A yawn broke through his mouth as his eyes blinked back sleep. His right hand left the communicator, drifting to his side to scratch at a stray itch. He'd have to wake up Clank soon... they were remodeling the small guest room and Clank had been eager to recharge and rest in the room in between the times he worked on painting the walls and adjusting the furniture.

The communicator buzzed in his hand.

**T: ...That's some way to put it, Ratchet. ;)**

_R: Yeah I know, Clank would have an aneurysm trying to logic that out..._

**T: I get it though. That feeling of wanting to snuggle up, or to just be together after a long day at work, or to just be in each other's company...**

_R: Oh? Have I been keeping you up at night too_

**T: :P Only sometimes. I usually sleep very soundly.**

**T: I miss you a lot, but I know that it'll be a short time til we're back together.**

And there it was. The opportunity to say it. To say what had been thrown around his mind since the night before. His thumbs moved over the letters, but anxiety kept him from pushing anything.

He'd taken on villains that had wanted to commit varying acts of genocide, villains that wanted to make money off his corpse, villains that wanted to tear apart the fabric of reality for their own gain...

That was easy stuff in hindsight. This, though...

Minutes passed, and Talwyn's speech bubble popped up again.

**T: You asleep now? :P**

Ratchet wet his lips as he forced himself to press the letters.

_R: Tal_

_R: Have you ever thought of_

_R: You know _

_R: Moving in together?_

A pause, almost as long as the one she had just waited through, passed. His blood froze, and for the first time that night, Ratchet felt cold. A shaky breath blew through his lips as his fingers tightened around the communicator.

She wasn't going to leave him if he suggested moving, and he knew that. Talwyn took things in stride, and there was no way she was going to let something they couldn't just talk out affect their relationship. That wasn't what he was scared of.

Moving in meant that one of them would have to give up one or both of their homes and move somewhere else entirely. He knew that the Apogee Space Station was a place Talwyn would have a hard time giving up if she did, and if he had to give up his Veldin home he would, but he would miss the heat against his fur and the feeling of freedom the wide deserts gave him. If they both moved to a new place, it meant long hours of searching for a place that would fit both their needs and wants and figuring out what both their incomes could afford.

He didn't want to make her feel as if she had to give up her home to be with him.

His communicator's screen fell dark, then lit up as Talwyn's next message popped onto the screen.

**T: ...I have.**

His heartbeat echoed in his ears as he sucked in air. His thumbs moved to make another message but stalled before they could touch the screen. Green eyes picked up the four little dots on Talwyn's end, and his tail curled as he waited for her answer.

The four little dots dipped in and out. Minutes dragged by as Talwyn looked as if she was going to say something, only for the dots to disappear. They popped up again a split second later, held out for a few moments, then faded away.

The thought, "Is she okay?", came to his mind.

Suddenly, the emotions poured out and Ratchet was quick to tap out a reply.

_R: I know it's a really big step Tal and we don't have to do it soon if you don't want to. I asked cause it feels like no matter how long I spend with you I just don't want the time to end_

_R: There's something there whenever we're together and I just can't put my finger on it. I feel like the luckiest Lombax alive everytime I'm around you and everytime I think of you, my heart skips and I cant stop smiling_

_R: Your one of the most amazing women Ive met in my life, and the thought of taking the next step doesnt scare me in the slightest. I think of you next to me, doing little things like bringing me coffee as we get our morning started while Clank chases after our kids or snuggling up with you under blankets as we stay up all night watching old movies, and I know immediately that I would have it no other way_

He hit Send on the last message, and instantly the Lombax let out a held breath as he settled back against his pillow.

The minutes ticked by as Ratchet waited for a response. The ball of fear in his chest grew tight, and a worried hum rose in his throat as orange and pink lights began to paint the sky. "Oh boy," he murmured, huffing into the side of his clenched fist. "I really hope that wasn't too strong."

Ratchet gently tossed the communicator to the other side of his bed, mulling over his words. They were cheesy in a lot of ways, and he knew that... but that was really how he felt.

His eyes lifted as he looked to the open door of his room, gazing out into the dark hall. Imagined laughter touched his ears, and Ratchet could picture little feet rushing past the door, the sounds of Clank's metal feet chasing after them, the little robot urging the children to put on their shoes or stay quiet for the early morning or whatever their godfather sought to nag them about...

His sight grew glassy as he sighed. A hand touched the other side of the bad, where Talwyn would be. He didn't know where they would move if they decided to take the next step, but if that picture could become a reality...

The communicator lit up, and his eyes quickly darted back to the screen.

**T: Sorry for the pause had to get some tissues**

**T: No one's ever said something so...**

He fished the communicator back into his hand.

_R: Corny?_

**T: Oh definitely. But I could tell that you meant every word, and it was something I needed today. **

_R: Im glad I made you happy Tal. And please dont feel presssured. If you dont wanna move or give up anything, we dont have to, and Im more than willing to give up my veldin home if need be_

_R: Whatever feels right for you_

**T: Oh no, mister. No sacrifices just on your end. I'm sure we can find something that can fit with both our wants and needs. **

**T: But as for moving in together... I would like to do it.**

**T: Scared, and excited, but I really want to take that step with you too.**

The first rays of sunlight crept into the room as Ratchet hugged the communicator to his chest, a huge grin on his face. Small squeaks came form the device as the Lombax pressed it close, the picture in his mind of Talwyn next to him growing just a little brighter.

A buzz vibrated against his fur.

**T: I think though, we may have to wait to talk about the deeper details another time. I got to get back to work over here, then I'll be heading home for a quick nap and a shower before things start back up again.**

_R: I think I have to go too_

_R: The dawns just starting to come in, and some of the early birds are gunna start lining up outside the garage soon_

**T: Oh no. You gotta get some sleep!**

_R: Maybe later_

**T: At least an afternoon nap. Most creatures won't be active in the afternoons there, if the weather reports are anything to go by.**

A laugh bubbled up out of him, and as he looked to the other side of his bed, he pictured Talwyn, grumpy from waking up early, murmuring to him that it was time to wake up and get their day started. Her hair would be a mess, tangled up and stuck up in a few places, and her lips would form in a frown as he would grumble about having to wake up early.

And he was going to have it soon.

He couldn't wait.

_R: Will do! Good luck with finishing up the rest of your work!_

He straightened as he left the communicator on the bed sheet, and as he hooked his feet over the side of his bed, he stretched out his arms and legs once again. The deep blue and purple mix was gone and the usual baby blues of the sky began to color the atmosphere.

Ratchet threw on some clothes, his usual work outfit stained with a couple spots of oil and grease, and by the time he got back to his communicator, a short message waited for him.

**T: Bye, Ratchet. Love you so much, and have a great day at work! *heart***

He pressed his forehead against the device before bringing it back to shoulder level. His thumbs quickly typed out his last message.

_R: Love you too beautiful_

* * *

_Song Inspo: "Power Trip" by J. Cole (Cover by SoMo). It's a GabeNath song through and through, so that's why I completely hopped fandoms and wrote Talchet instead… _

_(Then again... My one brain cell: "Blue... and purple... bloo... and burple... them...)_

_I've never written Talchet before, so this is my experiment piece for them. Wrote this all in one sitting cause god help me if I get even slightly distracted. Edited this, then sat back and accepted that this isn't going to be completely perfect first-time around. This was written to get out an image in my mind: a sweaty Ratchet texting his girlfriend in the middle of the night and laughing at the weird stuff they send back and forth to each other. I don't know if all of this is fully in character, but then again this is the first time I've written for them and I think I'm cool with this being an experiment piece for figuring out how their ship works. _

_Hope you guys enjoyed the lil oneshot! I hope I can write more, and better in some aspects, Talchet in the future!_

_See you guys later! _

_XD_


End file.
